It was the 269th lap of the first-ever Cup Series race in the Iowa Speedway when Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson moved three-wide alongside Brad Keselowski and Daniel Suarez coming off Turn 4. As the three cars rounded the corner, Suarez’s Camaro caught the rear of Larson’s and sent it spinning into the path of Denny Hamlin’s Camry.
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Taking damage to his car, Larson spent much time on the pits and returned to the track only to finish in 34th place, 36 laps down. Suarez pulled ahead and finished in ninth place. When they spoke to the press in the aftermath of the race, Suarez had already taken a look at the replay of the incident and, not surprisingly, had a different outlook on it from Larson.
Suarez noted that Larson and Keselowski could’ve run further close to the wall on the corner and that they’d come too tight to him. However, he did go on to take responsibility for making contact with Larson. He said, “I mean, I’m definitely … I’m the one that made contact with the 5, and I take responsibility for that, but I felt like they were lower than I was expecting.”
Larson, on the other hand, had not yet taken a look at the replay when he was questioned in the pit road. He said that he wasn’t sure if Suarez had gotten loose or anything when running into him. He continued to acknowledge that he’d made the three-wide move in the first place to gain as many spots as possible early in the final stage and that it ended up biting him.
Kyle Larson misses out on a potential fourth win of the season and loses the top spot in the standings
Larson had won the pole for Sunday’s race, led 80 laps, and won a stage when the incident with Suarez went down. He could’ve added to his victory tally had he been a bit more cautious. He admitted that he ought to have been more wary of his surroundings and the drivers around him before making the three-wide move. As a result of the race, he has now lost the top spot in the points table to Chase Elliott.
A mere eight points separate the teammates who are then followed by Denny Hamlin. The Joe Gibbs Racing star struggled with his Camry right from the beginning of the race. He salvaged five points at the end of Stage 2 and finished his race in 24th place. It wasn’t a day to remember for the championship-less hero. Regardless, he has little to worry about having sealed his playoff spot three times over.
